Have you ever been so hard-pressed for time that you wished you could place food, drink and service orders right from your car? Well, somebody must have had that thought, because GM’s going to let you do exactly that.
GM on Tuesday unveiled Marketplace, an app for its infotainment systems that lets owners take advantage of a variety of services while on the road. Marketplace’s availability is based on how many partners sign up, but already, several big brands have signed on to be a part of this service.
I hope the car is capable of knowing when an oil change is needed. Getting those offers after only 250 miles would be sort of annoying.
For example, you can order (and pay) ahead at Starbucks, IHOP, Wingstop, Applebee’s and Dunkin’ Donuts. You can make reservations at TGI Fridays. You can find the nearest Shell station, and in the near future, you’ll be able to pay for your fill-up from inside the car. There are some in-house features, as well, such as the ability to purchase or extend an OnStar subscription or receive offers for discounts on oil changes and accessories.
It’s not tied to any one of GM’s subsidiaries, either. If you happen to have a 2017 or 2018 Chevrolet, Buick, GMC or Cadillac with the correct infotainment setup, you’ll receive the Marketplace app in the near future.
Perhaps most troubling is that GM wants you to do all this while driving. GM claims the system’s behind-the-scenes efforts create personalized experiences with easy ordering processes and minimal interaction, but I’m still a bit worried. The last thing we need is to give drivers more reasons to look away from the road.
Then again, if it prevents some people from doing the same stuff with their phone while driving, I’m all for it. I’ll have to sample it before I can indict it, but let’s just say the grand jury is still deliberating.
